Charmed Trek
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: When a demon attacks, the Charmed Ones are sucked into a vortex and end up in the last place in the universe they would have ever expected to be. And they have no idea how to defeat the demon or return home.
1. Chapter 1

J. B. Tilton/Page 4

CHARMED

"Charmed Trek"

(A Charmed/Enterprise Crossover)

by J. B. Tilton

email: K+

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story is the result of a challenge I received. The challenge was to crossover two completely unrelated shows. I hope you enjoy it.)

When a demon attacks, the Charmed Ones are sucked into a vortex and end up in the last place in the universe they would have ever expected to be. And they have no idea how to defeat the demon or return home.

ONE

Phoebe came into the manor and nearly collapsed in one of the chairs in the living room. Paige was just coming down the stairs as Phoebe flopped into the chair. As she rubbed her eyes, Paige walked up next to her.

"Hey," Paige said, "rough day?"

"You have no idea," Phoebe responded. "I think I answered every stupid letter in my office today. I never knew there were so many people out there with minor problems that they just blow up into what they feel are world crises. Honestly, some woman's dog disappears for a couple of days and she wants to know if she should contact the FBI about it. Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous in your life?"

"I hope you didn't respond to her that way?" Paige asked.

"Of course not," Phoebe said, just a bit annoyed. "I was as diplomatic as possible and told the woman to get a life. Not in those terms, of course. But it seems that I had nothing but stupid questions like that today."

"Well, you know what they say," Paige said. "One mans' mountain is another mans' molehill."

'No one says that," Phoebe said.

"Well, it's true," said Paige. "It might not seem important to you but I'm sure it was important to that woman."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Phoebe said. "I guess when you have to fight demons and save the world for a living some of the more mundane problems just seem so idiotic."

"It's all a matter of perspective," Piper said as she and Leo came in the front door. Both were carrying grocery bags. "Whose problems seem idiotic?"

"Some of my readers," Phoebe said as she and Paige helped them to the kitchen with the bags. "I think some of them have nothing better to do than sit around and think up stupid problems for me to solve."

"I'm sure it's not like that," Leo said. "Like Piper said, it's all a matter of perspective. You just have to remember that to most people, their lives and problems are all they usually have to worry about. Most don't even know that demons exist. If they did, I'm sure their problems wouldn't seem so pressing."

"I complained about having no shoes until I met a man with no feet," Paige quoted from an old proverb. "Tomorrow will probably be a better day."

"I guess so," Phoebe said. "At least it's over for now. I'm just going to veg out and take it easy tonight. I'll worry about tomorrows problems tomorrow."

"That's my girl," Piper said. "Now, if you three will get out of my kitchen, I'll prepare dinner. Unlike Phoebe, my day isn't over yet. Now, everyone out."

Phoebe, Paige, and Leo all immediately left the kitchen. They all knew how Piper got when she was cooking. It was best if they just made a graceful exit and left her to her first passion.


	2. Chapter 2

J. B. Tilton/Page 6

TWO

The next day Phoebe decided to take time off from work. She had been working extremely hard lately and she told Elise she just had to have a break or she'd burnout. Reluctantly, Elise agreed. She didn't want to loose one of the paper's most valuable assets.

Phoebe sat in the living room reading a book. She loved to read and had so little time to especially since getting the job as an advice columnist. Leo and Piper were in the kitchen; for a change. Paige was upstairs somewhere. She had said something about studying the Book of Shadows. She had a lot to catch up on compared to Piper and Phoebe.

Suddenly a vortex began forming in the living room. Phoebe called for Piper and Paige and backed away from it toward the entryway. The vortex was forming rapidly in front of the fireplace. It took only seconds before it had formed completely. Piper, Paige, and Leo reached the entryway just as it finished.

Standing in front of the fireplace was what could only be described as a demon. It stood some seven feet tall, and had long hair and a beard. Its forehead was strangely wrinkled and it wore what looked like some form of battle uniform. Its eyes glowed an unearthly green color. Long, sharpened teeth filled its mouth and it held a long, double-edged dagger in one hand.

"ghuH Daq Hegh," shouted the creature.

The creature raised its hand and a fireball formed. It threw the fireball at Paige and the girls dived for cover. Leo wasn't so fast. The fireball struck him, incinerating the White Lighter. Suddenly the creature growled at the girls, and then vanished from the living room. Leo orbed back in.

"I don't care to go through that again," he said.

"You're lucky you're a White Lighter," Phoebe said. "What was that thing, anyway?"

"Some kind of demon," Paige said.

"Ya think?" Piper said sarcastically. "Leo did you understand what it said?"

"No," Leo responded, "but then, I don't speak all languages. I didn't recognize it either. I'd better go check with the Elders on this one."

"Good idea," Piper said. "We'll check the Book of Shadows. Whatever that thing was, I'm sure it's in there."

Leo orbed out of the living room while the girls went into the attic.

"They have no idea what it was," Leo reported after returning from the Elders. "None of them had any knowledge of a demon that even remotely resembles the one that attacked you. And none of them could even identify the language it spoke, let alone translate it."

"The Book of Shadows didn't have anything on it either," Piper said. "It's almost like this was a new form of demon."

"That's unlikely," Leo said. "Even if it was a new form of demon, the Elders would have some idea of what it was. They don't even have a hint."

"Well, it certainly wasn't natural," said Phoebe. "It came out of that vortex thingy. And it threw fire. That's an upper level demon power. It didn't leave by the vortex so how did it just disappear like that?"

"Probably something like shimmering," Leo suggested. "Or it could be a form of blinking like warlocks use. At any rate, you three are in serious danger as long as that thing is around."

"You're telling us," Paige said. "Without any idea what it is we have no idea how to fight it."

"I'll see what kind of potion I can come up with that might affect it," Piper said. "Phoebe, see what you can do about a spell. Considering what happened, I think we'd better use a Power of Three spell. I have a feeling this is no ordinary demon."

"Just what I was thinking," Phoebe said. "I'll get started right away."

"What do you want me to do?" Paige asked.

"You can help me with the potion," Piper said. "Leo, go back and see if you can find out anything about this demon. Or any demon that even resembles it. The more information we have, the better prepared we'll be."

"Right," Leo said, orbing out of the kitchen.

"Now, I'll get started on the potion," Piper said. "Phoebe, you get started on the spell. We need to be ready when that thing comes back."

"Already on it," Phoebe said, heading for the attic.

Leo orbed back in about an hour later. He didn't have anything to report. The Elders had used their extensive network of spies, informants, and allies to gather whatever information they could on this new demon. They had come up with exactly nothing.

"This is very strange," Leo said. "The Elders are very worried. A demon that's unknown is a danger to all witches, not just you three. They have no way to protect themselves and they don't have the Power of Three."

"Well," Piper said, holding up a vial, "this might work. It's a sort of vanquishing potion. I substituted some more powerful ingredients to make it stronger. It should at least hurt that thing."

"I have the spell," Phoebe said, walking into the kitchen, holding up a piece of paper. "I modified one I found in the Book of Shadows. With any luck, it should…."

Before she could finish, the demon simply appeared in the entryway door. Before any of them could move, it shoved the dagger it was holding into Leo. Leo collapsed to the floor, the wound already beginning to heal itself.

The demon then turned and faced Paige. It cast a fireball at her from only feet away. Instinctively, Paige orbed out. The fireball passed through her orb and exploded harmlessly on the back door. Paige then orbed back into the same spot she had occupied only moments before.

Piper didn't hesitate. She threw the potion on the demon and flames erupted around it. It howled in pain as the flames consumed it. Suddenly the same vortex that had brought it to the manor opened again and the creature was sucked inside.

Leo looked up and watched in horror as Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were also caught in the power of the vortex. Within seconds he was alone in the kitchen. The demon and the Charmed Ones had simply vanished from the manor.


	3. Chapter 3

J. B. Tilton/Page 7

THREE

"Did someone get the number of that truck?" Paige asked, sitting up and rubbing her head. "I feel like I was run over and dragged for ten miles. What happened?"

"I think we were too close to that vortex," Phoebe said, sitting up next to her. "Its power must have caught us in it and…. uh oh."

"Where the hell are we?" Piper asked, looking around.

The three were lying in what looked like a corridor. But the walls, ceiling, and floor were all metal. To their back were what looked like doors to an elevator. Further on down the corridor, two men stood looking at them. The men wore some kind of uniform and one was holding what looked like a clipboard. The second man moved hurriedly to the wall and pressed a button.

"Intruder alert," the man called out, "deck seven, section J3. Intruder alert."

The two men didn't wait for the girls to get up. They simply turned and ran down the corridor as fast as they could go. The three stood up and looked at each other. Somewhere in the distance a shrill whistle seemed to be sounding.

"What's going on?" Piper asked. "Where is this place? It doesn't look like the underworld."

"Don't move," said a man rounding the corridor ahead.

The man held a strange weapon at them. Two other men, each with similar weapons, stood facing the girls. The one who had spoken to them spoke in a British accent.

"Who are you?" demanded the man. "What are you doing here?"

'Hold on, buddy," Piper said, taking a step toward him.

"Don't move," repeated the man. "I don't want to have to shoot you."

"Okay, just take it easy," Phoebe said. "Listen, we sort of got here by mistake. We're kind of lost. We don't mean you any harm."

"Likely story," said the man. "Okay, let's go. The captain will want to have a word with you. And don't try anything funny. I won't hesitate to use this if I have to."

Without knowing what else to do, the three girls followed the man down the corridor. They saw other people in the corridors who parted when they passed. No one spoke. The other two men followed close behind, their weapons at the ready. Soon, they came to a set of doors that opened as if by magic.

"You wait in here," said the man in charge. "Don't try anything. The captain will be down shortly."

The man left, leaving the two guards behind. They took up positions at the door, their weapons still at the ready.

"What's going on?" Paige whispered to the other two. "He mentioned a captain. Are we on some kind of ship? What would a demon be doing on a ship?"

'I don't know," Piper replied. "But have you seen some of the equipment we passed? I've never seen anything like it before. This is getting freaky."

"Well, wherever we are," whispered Phoebe, "we shouldn't have long to wait. I'm betting that English guy went to get this captain. Everyone here seems to be human. Whatever those weapons are, I don't think demons would be using them."

"Okay," Piper said. "Let's just take this one step at a time. First, we figure out where we are. And how we got here. Then we can figure out how to get out of here."

"I could orb us out," Paige offered. "If they aren't demons, they might not be expecting it."

"Not yet," Piper said. "There might be some enchantment on this place to prevent orbing. Besides, we don't even know where we are. I'd like to know where this place is before we leave."

"What about Leo?" Phoebe asked. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Yes," Piper said. "That wasn't a Dark Lighters' bolt that demon used on him. He should be okay."

"Maybe we should call for him," Phoebe suggested. "Maybe he knows what this place is and how to get out."

"Later," Piper said. "Leo is our ace in the hole. They may not even know about him. I'd like to keep it that way until we have no other choice."

"Okay," Paige said, "but I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I, little sister," Piper said, "so do I."

Less than ten minutes later the doors opened and the Englishman returned. With him were three other people. One was an older man who had a very serious look on his face. This must be the captain the Englishman had mentioned.

Behind him walked a woman. But she was unlike any woman the girls had ever seen. She was just a bit shorter than the man, and wore a suit that was virtually skin tight. Her ears were extremely pointed, and her eyebrows arched up at the ends. Her skin appeared to be tinted with a green hue.

The third person was apparently a male. But he was obviously not human. He had a smile on his face that seemed to indicate he was laughing at some private joke. Some form of ridges ran down the sides of his face. He was carrying a small case with him.

"I'm Jonathon Archer," said the man with the Englishman. "I'm the captain of the Enterprise. Would you care to explain who you are and what you're doing on my ship?"

"Enterprise?" questioned Paige. "What are we doing on an aircraft carrier? And those certainly don't look like navy uniforms. Besides, when do demons serve on board navy ships?"

"Paige, please," Piper said. "Captain Archer, my name is Piper Halliwell. These are my sisters, Phoebe and Paige Matthews. We aren't sure exactly how we got here. We aren't spies or anything. It's a little hard to explain."

"Navy uniforms, Captain?" questioned the male figure.

"Captain," said the woman with the pointed ears, "I suggest that Dr. Phlox have a look at our guests. Perhaps if we determine what species they are we'll know why they are here."

'What species?" Phoebe questioned. "Boy, you have a lot of nerve. We're human, obviously. More than I can say for you. But Paige has a point. What is a demon doing on board a United States Navy aircraft carrier?"

"Aircraft carrier?" Archer questioned. "The Enterprise isn't an aircraft carrier. Earth doesn't even have them any more. The Enterprise is a star ship. What makes you think you're on an aircraft carrier?"

"Star ship?" Paige questioned. "Since when does the United States have star ships?"

"Uh, what's the date?" Piper asked uneasily.

"Excuse me?" Archer asked.

"The date," Piper repeated. "What's today's date?"

Archer looked at the people in the room before answering.

"It's November 6, 2151," he said finally.

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige just stared at him in shock.


	4. Chapter 4

J. B. Tilton/Page 5

FOUR

"Okay, the joke is over," Piper said. "You expect us to believe that we're one hundred fifty years or so in the future? Very funny. And I suppose that these two," she indicated the woman with the pointed ears and the man with ridges on his face, "are aliens, not demons."

"Demons?" questioned the woman, one eyebrow suddenly rising.

"I'm Denobulan," said the man, the strange smile broadening. "I can assure you I'm not a demon."

"Everyone just calm down," said Captain Archer. "This," he indicated the woman, "is Sub-Commander T'Pol of the Vulcan Science Council. She's my science officer. That's Dr. Phlox, the ships' doctor. And, yes, they are aliens. They certainly aren't demons. That," he indicated the Englishman, "is Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, my tactical and security officer."

He looked at Phlox obviously believing that these three women must be delusional.

"Vulcan?" Phoebe asked. "Denobulan? You're telling us that they are from other planets?"

"Yes," Archer said. "You said you were one hundred fifty years in the future. So that means you come from approximately the year 2000. Is that what you're telling us?"

"2003, to be more precise," Paige said. "We were fighting this demon who just appeared out of nowhere when…."

"Time travel is not possible," T'Pol interrupted. "The Vulcan Science Directorate has studied the concept in some detail. They have determined that it is not scientifically possible to move from…."

"Science had nothing to do with it, honey," Piper said. "Like Phoebe said, we were fighting this demon when some kind of vortex opened and we were sucked into it. When we woke up, we were here. Wherever here is."

"I told you," said Archer, "you're on the starship Enterprise. We're currently about sixty-three light years from Earth. And our last sensor reading indicated there were no other ships in the area. Now, just how did you get on board my ship?"

"We told you," Phoebe said. "This demon attacked us and we got sucked into a vortex."

"Belief in demons was abandoned on Earth some time ago," T'Pol said. "As with most cultures, the cultures on Earth discarded these beliefs for the more logical belief in science."

"Just cause you don't believe in it don't mean it ain't so," Phoebe said.

"Everyone just calm down," Archer said. "Okay, we have to sort this out. I want the three of you to go with Dr. Phlox to sickbay."

"What for?" Piper demanded.

"For a physical examination," Archer said. "If what you've told us is the truth, you shouldn't object to that. It will help us determine if you really are human."

"Then what?" Paige asked.

"We'll see," Archer replied. "Unlike my science officer, I do believe that time travel is possible. But I'm not sure I buy this whole demon thing. For right now, I need to ascertain what's going on here. The first step in that is the physical exam."

"It won't hurt, I assure you," Phlox said. "You'll be surprised how much human medical science has advanced since your time."

Piper looked at Phoebe and Paige. Like the Vulcan woman, she wasn't sure how much of this she believed. But they didn't seem to be making any progress this way.

"Okay," Piper said finally, "but I'm warning you. Don't try anything funny. Believe me when I tell you we are quite capable of defending ourselves."

"Just you don't try anything," Reed said, patting the pistol at his side. "We can defend ourselves as well."

"No one is going to try anything," Archer said. "Dr. Phlox will perform the examination, and then we'll go from there."

"Fine," Piper said. "Let's get this over."

With the two security guards in tow, Lieutenant Reed escorted the three sisters to the ships' sickbay.


	5. Chapter 5

J. B. Tilton/Page 6

FIVE

"Well, Captain," said Phlox several hours later, "they are quite human. I performed every test I could think of. Bone structure, respiratory system, DNA analysis, development of fingers and toys all produce the same results. They are one hundred percent human."

"Okay," Archer said. "At least that much has been established."

"I also found some very interesting readings," Phlox said.

"How so?" Archer asked.

"I detected some very unusual organisms in there systems," Phlox said. "Many of these organisms are typical of conditions on Earth approximately one hundred fifty years ago. They should not be present in the system of any human today. In addition, each seems to have suffered massive and repeated physical trauma. They each have extensive scar tissue from obvious physical damage. Frankly, I fail to see why they are not totally bedridden from the damage they have obviously suffered."

"Do you have any explanation for this trauma?" Archer asked.

"Not at this time," Phlox replied. "I have ascertained that some of this trauma should have killed them nearly instantly. How they were able to survive is still something I have not been able to determine."

"Doctor, I want you to perform one last test," Archer said.

He slid a PADD across his desk to the doctor. Phlox picked it up and read what was showing on the PADD's screen.

"I don't understand, Captain," Phlox said.

"Is there a problem, Doctor?" Archer asked. "You should have samples on file. Is there a reason you can't perform the test?"

"No, sir, not at all," Phlox said. "I can perform the test in a few minutes. I'm just curious you would ask for something like this, that's all."

"Thank you, Doctor," Archer said. "Run the test immediately. Bring your results to the situation room when you're done."

Phlox smiled, and then left the captain's ready room. Archer sat thinking about his guests. If they were human, the rest of their story might be true as well. Especially considering what he had found after a very short computer search. His guests had sat in their quarters long enough. It was time to have another chat with them.

"What are we going to do?" Paige asked as they waited in the quarters Archer had given them. "How did we get one hundred fifty years into the future?"

"That vortex the demon used," Phoebe said. "It must have brought us here. The question is, how do we get back?"

"I don't know," Piper said. "Leo doesn't answer when we call him. I don't know if he's been vanquished over the past century and a half or if he just can't hear us way out here. Paige, maybe you could orb us back to Earth. It may have been one hundred fifty years but Earth is obviously still there."

"I'd be afraid to try," Paige said. "Orbing across town is one thing. But Captain Archer said we were sixty-three light years from Earth. I'm not sure I can orb that far. I don't even have any idea just how far that is. I'd hate to get half way there and just suddenly orb back in. That wouldn't be good."

"No, it wouldn't," said Piper. "Phoebe, can you still levitate?"

Phoebe stood up. The next second, she suddenly began to rise into the air. She settled back to the floor and then sat down again.

"No problem there," she said.

"Okay," Piper said. "Paige, that pitcher on the counter. See if you can orb it."

"Pitcher," Paige said holding out her hand.

The pitcher suddenly appeared in her hand. She sat it on the table in front of them.

"Well, my powers seem to be intact," she said.

Piper picked up the pitcher. She tossed it up in the air and as it began to drop back to the table, she froze it in midair. They all looked as it hung suspended in the air. Piper reached up and plucked the pitcher out of the air and sat it down on the table.

"Apparently our powers haven't been affected," Piper said. "Phoebe, do you still have the vanquishing spell for that demon?"

"Right here," Phoebe said, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket and laying it on the table. "Although I'm not sure what good it will do. If we've come this far into the future I'm not sure if this spell will be effective."

"Well, that demon is still around here somewhere," Piper said. "If it's after us, it's bound to make another appearance sooner or later. We need to be ready for it."

"That's going to be a little hard locked up in here," Paige said. "That woman with the pointed ears sure seems strange. You notice how she always seems to have the same expression on her face? It's like she hasn't got any emotions."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Phoebe said. "But that doctor seems to be smiling all the time. Kind of gives me the creeps."

Suddenly a chime sounded. The girls looked at each other not sure what the chime meant. After a moment, the chime sounded again.

"That sounded kind of like a doorbell," Phoebe said. She turned to the door. "Come in."

The doors to the room opened and Lieutenant Reed walked in.

"The captain wants to talk to you again," he announced. "I'm to escort you to the situation room."

"Fine," Piper said. "It's about time we got this thing straightened out."


	6. Chapter 6

J. B. Tilton/Page 7

**SIX**

"Dr. Phlox tells me the three of you are human," Archer said when they had assembled in the situation room. "This is the rest of my senior staff. This is Ensign Travis Mayweather, the helmsman. This is Ensign Hoshi Sato, my communications officer. And this is Commander Charles Tucker, ships' engineer."

"Call me Trip," Tucker said, smiling.

"Okay," Piper said slowly. "Captain Archer, I know how crazy our story must sound to you. Believe me, I'd probably feel the same way if I were in your place. But it's all true."

"Unlikely," said T'Pol. "As I said, it has been determined that time travel is not possible."

"And like I said," said Piper, "science had nothing to do with it. It was a magical vortex created by a demon."

"Okay, you two, that's enough," Archer said. "I have a couple of questions. First, I did a little checking. It seems there were three sisters living in San Francisco one hundred fifty years ago with your names."

He pressed a button on the table in front of him and three photographs appeared on the screen behind him. The three photographs were of Piper, Phoebe, and Paige.

"So that proves we're telling the truth," Phoebe said.

"Not necessarily," T'Pol said. "It is quite possible your appearance has been altered to make you appear to be those three."

"I did not find any indication of alteration surgery," Phlox said.

"Nevertheless," T'Pol said, "it is very unlikely that these three are the same ones who lived on Earth so many decades ago."

"Hey, we're sitting right here," Paige said. "You know you have an annoying habit of talking about people as if they aren't around."

"She's a Vulcan," Hoshi said. "They have a number of habits that most humans find annoying."

"That's why we're talking now," Archer said, ignoring Hoshi's statement. "I think there's a way to determine if they're telling the truth. If you are who you claim to be, you should know the answers to some questions."

"Shoot," Piper said.

"What was your mother's name?" Archer asked.

"Patty," Phoebe said. "She died when we were quite young."

"And you're the oldest?" Archer asked Piper.

"Yes," Piper said. :"Well, actually no. We did have another sister. The oldest one. She died about three years ago. I mean, about three years before we suddenly got sucked here."

"Yes, Prudence I think her name was," Archer said.

"Prue," corrected Phoebe. "She hated the name Prudence. She always went by Prue."

"So far, so good," Archer. He turned to Paige. "So, I'm gathering Matthews is your maiden name. That's why it's different from the others."

"Actually, I'm only a half sister," Paige said. "Same mother but different father. I didn't even know I had any sisters until Prue died."

"All the right answers," Archer said.

"Which could have been discovered by anyone who did a little research," T'Pol said. "Just as you obviously did, Captain."

"Kind of the suspicious type, isn't she?" Phoebe asked.

"It's a trait of Vulcans," Trip said. "She's getting better, though."

"I do have one question," Archer said, ignoring the comment of his engineer, "regarding a symbol. One that Paige Matthews seemed to adopt just after she met her half sisters."

"The triquetra," Paige said. "Yeah, I guess I sort of did adopt it. It's…. sort of like a family crest."

"Can you describe this triquetra?" Archer asked.

"Well," Paige said, thinking, "it sort of looks like three interlocking circles inside another circle."

"Sort of like this?" Archer said, reaching into his pocket.

He pulled out a small strip of leather. Attached to the cloth was a circular pendant bearing the symbol of the triquetra. The item looked to be extremely old.

"That's it," Piper said, looking at the pendant. "That's the triquetra. Hey, that looks like Kitt's collar?"

"This proves nothing," T'Pol said. "If this triquetra was a family coat of arms, it would have been quite easy to determine that with the same research that would have provided the former information."

"Kitt?" Archer questioned Piper.

"Yes," Piper said. "Kitt was our cat. She, uh, ran away."

"That does look like Kitt's collar," Phoebe said. "How did you get it?"

Archer turned to the security guards standing at the door.

"We won't need you any longer," Archer said.

"Captain, do you think that's a good idea?" Reed asked as the two guards left.

"I don't think our guests are a danger," Archer said. "And in answer to T'Pol's statement, that bit of information isn't found in any information records. Oh, the triquetra is in the history records of the Halliwell family. But the fact that this particular locket is formerly a cat's collar isn't. That information has been handed down by word of mouth. To my knowledge, it was never written down anywhere?"

"Phoebe has a good question," Paige said. "And how could you know that was Kitt's collar originally?"

"Because," Archer said, smiling, "this has been in my family for generations. It's sort of a family heirloom, you might say. It's been handed down from one generation to the next. A little tradition started by my great, great, great, great, great grandmother. Her name was Paige Matthews. And she lived in San Francisco at the turn of the millennium."


	7. Chapter 7

J. B. Tilton/Page 7

SEVEN

"Wait a minute," Paige said finally. "Are you telling me that you're one of my descendents?"

"It looks that way," Archer said, picking up another PADD. "And the results of a specific test I asked Dr. Phlox to perform seems to confirm it. Doctor, would you care to let us know the results of that test?"

"Basically," Phlox said, "Captain Archer asked me to perform a DNA comparison to himself and Miss Matthews. I must say I was quite surprised at his request. However, I performed the test as requested. What I found was rather startling."

"Just what did you find out?" Piper asked.

"According to the DNA samples I took from Miss Matthews," Phlox continued, "which I compared to samples of the captain's DNA which I have on file, the two of you are related. I would say within five or six generations. I also compared your DNA to that of your two sisters. You'll be happy to know that you three are also related within one or two generations at most."

"We already knew that," Phoebe said.

"Captain," T'Pol interjected, "I do not believe that is sufficient evidence to base your decision upon. It is possible they could still pose a significant threat to the ship. We still do not know how they gained admittance to Enterprise. Or what their intentions on board the ship are."

"Hey, Vulcan lady," Piper said, "we told you that already. We're after a demon. It's around here somewhere and when we find it, we plan to vanquish it back to whatever hell it came out of."

"Demon, Captain?" Hoshi questioned.

"So they claim," Archer said. "I'm not sure if I believe their entire story, but I'm satisfied they aren't a threat to the ship. When I saw them earlier, Paige looked familiar. It took me a while to remember where I had seen her. Then I remembered my father's family albums. It didn't take me long to find her in there. It's also where I got the pictures of Piper and Phoebe."

"What kind of demon?" Trip asked.

"We don't know," Piper said. "We've never seen anything like it before. Real big and real ugly. Long hair, this ugly wrinkled forehead, and teeth that looked like they had been put in a pencil sharpener. And it's anyone's guess what it wants. We didn't understand a word it said."

"It spoke to you?" Travis asked.

"Yeah, if you can call it that," Paige said. "Although I never heard any language like the one it spoke."

"What did it say?" Hoshi asked.

"I don't know," Paige said. "Something like gug daq heg or something like that."

"Could it be ghuH Daq Hegh?" Hoshi asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Phoebe said. "Like I said, we didn't understand a word it said."

"Captain," Hoshi said, "that sounds like Klingon. Translated, it means 'prepare to die'."

"Okay," Piper said, "what's a Klingon?"

"They ain't very friendly," Trip said. "They're a race of warriors. We've had a couple of run ins with them. Not really the sociable types to be honest."

"And you speak this Klingon?" Piper asked Hoshi.

"Hoshi speaks more than forty languages," Archer said. "She has sort of a knack for picking up languages. It's why I wanted her as my communications officer."

"Captain," T'Pol said, "if these women have encountered a Klingon, it could be further indication that they are a threat to Enterprise. The Klingons are particularly displeased with you. It is possible these three are spies working for them."

"Okay, I'm a little bit tired of your insinuations," Piper said, her anger turning on T'Pol. "Being suspicious is one thing. But there's no reason for you to be insulting. Other than being on this ship, which we've already explained, we haven't done anything that could be interpreted as hostile."

"I was simply presenting the captain with a possible scenario," T'Pol said dispassionately. "As science officer, it is my duty to point out alternative points of view to the commanding officer."

"Well, unless you have something besides your suspicions," Piper began.

She was unable to finish her statement. A klaxon suddenly began to sound. Several seconds later a voice came over the intercom.

"Intruder alert, intruder alert," said the voice.

At almost the same instant, a security guard entered the room.

"Captain, we have an intruder on board," said the guard, nearly out of breath.

"Where?" Archer demanded.

"Right out side this room, sir," responded the guard. "We have no idea how he got on board, sir. One minute he was just coming down the corridor. There are three security guards outside ready to intercept him. He's headed this way, sir."

The small group headed out into the corridor. They turned left and saw three armed security guards standing several feet away, their pistols pointing down the corridor. Malcolm moved up to join them, a pistol in his hand.

Suddenly the double doors at the end of the corridor burst open. The demon that had attacked the sisters stepped out of the room beyond the doors and faced the group. It howled in anger at them and began to advance.

"Fire," Malcolm ordered.

In unison, the four armed men fired their weapons. Thin blue beams shot out of their pistols, striking the creature in the chest. It howled in pain, but continued to advance on the group. Slowly, the group backed away from the creature as it continued its advance.

"Captain," Malcolm said, "we've got the phase pistols on full. They aren't having any affect. You'd better get out of here, sir."

"That isn't going to do any good," Piper said. "It's a demon. Your weapons will be useless against it. Phoebe, quick the vanquishing spell."

Phoebe reached into her pocket, and then quickly began to search the rest of her pockets.

"Oh no," she said. "It's on the table in our quarters."

The three girls turned toward the demon that was still advancing on them. It had already proven it could withstand their powers. Without the Power of Three spell, there was no way to stop it.


	8. Chapter 8

J. B. Tilton/Page 4

EIGHT

"Everyone, out of here," Archer ordered as the demon advanced.

"It won't do any good," Piper said. "It won't stop until it competes its objective. Mainly, getting to us."

Piper turned toward the demon and brought her hands up. She tapped into her explosive power and the demons chest exploded. Just as quickly it reformed as if it had not been attacked. The demon howled.

"DaHjaj 'oH QaQ jaj Daq Hegh", screamed the creature.

It raised the dagger it had and threw it at the group.

"Dagger," Paige called out.

The dagger suddenly orbed to her hand. In one reflexive move, Paige threw the dagger back at the demon. It struck the demon in the shoulder and the creature howled in pain. It wrenched the dagger free and snarled at the group.

"Klang DichDaq ghaj Daj," the demon screamed. "Archer DichDaq vaD Daj."

Suddenly the demon simply vanished from sight. The crew of the Enterprise watched in fascination as the creature disappeared. The sisters were hardly surprised. They had witnessed countless demons simply vanish from sight.

"What the hell was that?" Trip asked.

"That's the demon we're after," Paige said. "And that's the same language it spoke to us the first time."

"Captain," Hoshi said, "it was definitely Klingon. It said something about Klang and your dishonor."

"Are you sure?" questioned Archer.

"Yes sir," Hoshi said.

Archer walked over to the wall and pressed a button on the wall.

"Bridge, this is the captain," he said. "Go to yellow alert. Have security search the entire ship. We seem to have a Klingon intruder on board. And do a full sensor sweep of the area. I want to know if there's any ship out there, I don't care how far away it is."

He pressed the button again and then turned back to the group.

"Well," he said, "it seems that at least part of your story may be true. Malcolm, put guards on all sensitive areas of the ship. Make it a double guard. And give them orders to shoot to kill. That thing withstood four phase pistols on full. I don't want the guards taking any chances."

"Captain," T'Pol said, "surely you don't believe the Klingon was a demon?"

"Right now," Archer said, "I'm not discounting anything. It just vanished. That's not something you see everyday."

"It is possible," said T'Pol, "that some form of transporter beam was used to extricate the Klingon from the Enterprise."

"Doesn't anything bother you?" Piper asked, noticing T'Pol's lack of emotional response. "That thing could have killed us all and you're as calm as a cucumber."

"Vulcans repress their emotions," Trip said. "Most humans find it somewhat annoying."

"We can discuss that later," Archer said. "For the moment it seems our guest has left."

"He'll be back," Phoebe said. "Demons don't give up easily."

"Let's get back to the situation room," Archer said. "I have a few more questions I'd like to ask."


	9. Chapter 9

J. B. Tilton/Page 7

NINE

"What was that you did to the Klingon?" Archer asked when the group had gathered back in the situation room. "You obviously don't have any weapons."

"They're our powers," Piper said. "As witches, we all have powers. I can freeze things and blow things up. Paige can orb items. And Phoebe has premonitions and levitation."

"Should we be telling them all this?" Paige asked.

"I can't see how it can hurt," Piper said. "Apparently we died over a century ago. It was only because of that vortex that we're even here. If Captain Archer is going to help us, I think he's entitled to some answers."

"I agree," Phoebe said.

"Okay," Archer said, "I appreciate it. Hoshi, what did it say?"

"Well," Hoshi said, feeling a bit self-conscious, "the first thing it said was 'DaHjaj 'oH QaQ jaj Daq Hegh'. Roughly translated it means 'it is a good day to die'. Kind of a strange thing to say."

"Actually not," T'Pol said. "I believe it is a traditional Klingon saying. They utter it when they are about to enter combat."

"Well, it certainly did that," Malcolm said.

"What else, Hoshi?" Archer asked.

"The next thing it said," Hoshi said, "was 'Klang DichDaq ghaj Daj'. When Paige struck it with that knife. That translates as 'Klang shall have his revenge'. At least that's the gist of what it said."

"Klang?" Trip questioned. "What does Klang have to do with this?"

"Who's this Klang?" Paige asked.

"He's a Klingon we returned to his home world," Archer said. "It was our first encounter with Klingons. But I don't know why he would want revenge. We returned him home in one piece. You'd think he'd be grateful."

"Perhaps not," T'Pol said. "Klang was taken prisoner. Other Klingons would have seen that as a disgrace. If you will remember, Captain, when we returned him to Kronos, he told the Klingon High Command he was prepared to die for his dishonor."

"He'd rather die than go home?" Phoebe questioned. "Do these Klingons have a death wish?"

"As Commander Tucker informed you," T'Pol said, "they are a warrior race. They believe the greatest honor for a Klingon is to die in battle. It ensures their entrance into the afterlife. For a warrior to be taken captive is considered dishonorable."

"And he would see Captain Archer as the source of that dishonor," Hoshi said. "It might explain the last thing he said. 'Archer DichDaq vaD Daj.' That means 'Archer will pay for his dishonor.' I think it's clear, Captain, that this demon or whatever it is is out to get you."

"Except you're forgetting he came after us in the past first," Piper said. "Why come after us if he's after your captain?"

"Maybe he wasn't after all of you?" Malcolm suggested.

"What do you mean, Malcolm?" Archer asked.

"Well," Malcolm said, "the trajectory of that knife when it threw it. It was aimed directly at Paige. If she hadn't suddenly done whatever it was she did, it would have hit her."

"You know," said Phoebe, "when it first appeared at the manor it went directly after Paige. And the next time it attacked it went after her again. I hadn't considered it might be after her specifically. I just assumed she happened to be the closest one each time."

"So did I," Piper said. "Most demons are after all of us, not just one of us."

"An interesting hypothesis," T'Pol said.

"What's that, Sub-Commander?" Archer asked.

"I still maintain that time travel is not possible," T'Pol said. "And I do not believe in the existence of demons. However, from a theoretical point of view it is a most ingenious plan."

"What is?" Paige asked. "Sheesh, really, lady, you can be more than just a bit annoying."

"What plan, T'Pol?" Archer asked.

"By returning Klang alive to Kronos," T'Pol continued, "he may well have been dishonored. In Klingon society, his immediate family as well as himself would share this dishonor. And the dishonor is passed down for three generations. Which means that his children and their children would also carry that dishonor."

"That doesn't seem right," Phoebe said. "I mean, his family isn't responsible for what he does."

"It is the way of their culture," T'Pol said. "Humans seem to have trouble understanding that not all cultures ascribe to human beliefs and values."

"What does that have to do with this demon or whatever it is attacking them?" asked Archer. "Why go after them instead of me? I'm the one who supposedly caused this dishonor."

"It's quite simple, Captain," T'Pol said. "Klang could not risk a direct attack on you. That could risk a war with Earth and it is possible the Vulcan High Command may decide to aid Earth in this war. While the Klingon Empire may be capable of successfully waging a war against Earth, it would be a much different matter if the Vulcans should become involved."

"She's right, sir," Malcolm said. "The Vulcans are somewhat more advanced than the Klingons from what we've seen. Their ships are faster and their weapons are better."

"Precisely," T'Pol said. "And it is very possible that the Klingon High Command would not sanction an attack against Captain Archer at any rate. So, theoretically, Klang may have taken matters into his own hands."

"Oh, now that's devious even for a demon," Piper said.

"What?" Paige asked. "What does what Captain Archer did have to do with a demon attacking me?"

"Don't you get it?" Phoebe asked. "He couldn't attack Archer directly. So he went after him indirectly. He sent a demon back to kill you. If you die before you have any children, he'll never be born."

"Removing any dishonor he may have suffered," T'Pol said, cocking one eyebrow.


	10. Chapter 10

J. B. Tilton/Page 4

TEN

"Would he go to all that trouble?" Trip asked.

"When it comes to a matter of honor," T'Pol said, "Klingons take it very seriously. Klingons consider honor more important than even life. To regain his honor, Klang might resort to what humans would consider drastic measures. However, since time travel is not possible…."

"Give it a rest, lady," Piper said. "We all know your opinion on time travel. Scientifically, you may not be able to do it. But we've learned that magic can do just about anything."

"Whatever this thing is," Archer said, "it stood up to full phase pistols. If it attacks again, it could do some serious damage. Or some of my crew might get hurt. That I won't tolerate. Any suggestions about how to fight this thing?"

"We've got that covered," Piper said. "We have a Power of Three spell that should vanquish this thing permanently."

"Vanquish?" Hoshi questioned.

"Yeah," Paige said. "That's what it's called when you kill a demon."

"Oh," Hoshi said.

"You intend to use a spell against this creature?" T'Pol asked.

"Not just a spell," Phoebe said. "A Power of Three spell. It's the most powerful form of magic there is. Nothing can withstand it. I wrote the spell but I left it in our quarters. Otherwise that demon would have been toast."

"It is doubtful that a spell will have any effect on a creature such as we witnessed in the corridor," T'Pol said.

"Don't sell it short," Phoebe said. "You'd be surprised what a Power of Three spell can do."

"I'd feel better if we had some other options," Archer said.

"Well, sir," Malcolm said, "I could see about increasing the power of the phase pistols. I could also see about rigging an electro-magnetic field to trap it in. As you know we've had some success with those of late."

"Good idea," Archer said. "T'Pol. I want you to search the database. See if there's any information on this so-called demon. Whatever it is it's no ordinary Klingon. It might be a genetic mutation or aberration. Maybe there's some way to combat this thing that we don't know about."

"That's a good idea," Piper said. "It's no wonder that the Book of…. that is, that we couldn't find anything on it. If it's not from Earth there might not be any information on it. If you have access to information from this Klingon planet they might have some way to vanquish it."

"In the mean time," Archer said, "I'm assigning guards to the three of you. Especially to Paige. If it attacks again, you'll need all the help you can get with it."

"I don't think that's going to do any good," Piper said. "This is a thing of magic, not science. And it's already proven it can stand up to your weapons."

"I'll feel better if nothing else," Archer said. "Put out a ship wide alert. If this thing shows up again, I want to know the instant it does."

"I shall attend to it, Captain," T'Pol said.

"Well," Trip said, "looks like there's nothing else to do but wait until this demon or whatever it is shows up again. I'm thinking our guests could use a good meal. Cap'n, with your permission, I'll take them to the mess hall for something to eat."

"That's a good idea," Archer said. "And stay alert, Trip. This Klingon seems to come out of nowhere."

The group broke up so that each could attend to their duties. As they followed Trip through the corridors, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all wondered how, and if, they'd ever be able to return home. Regardless of what Piper had told T'Pol, none had any idea how they were going to return to the past.


	11. Chapter 11

J. B. Tilton/Page 5

ELEVEN

"Is it always this crowded in here?" Paige asked as the group sat down to their meal.

"It's lunch time," Trip said. "But there are usually a few people in here most of the time."

"Meat loaf, huh?" Piper questioned as they looked at their meal.

"Yeah," Trip said. "It's one of the better meals here. Personally, I'd prefer a good steak or a nice catfish. But you know what they say. Variety is the spice of life."

"This tastes funny," Phoebe said, taking a bit of her meat loaf. "I mean, it's not bad. It just tastes different. Do you guys prepare it differently somehow?"

"She's right," Piper said, taking a bite. "What kind of spices is your cook using? This has some kind of under taste to it that I can't quite place."

"Oh," Trip said, "guess I should have warned you about that. Actually, it's resequenced food."

"Resequenced?" Paige asked.

"Yes," Trip said. "You see, we can take just about any object and break it down into its basic molecular structure. Then the resequencer can rearrange the molecules into any form we want. Warp coil conduits, hull plating, food, whatever we want. We do carry regular food but this helps us to save on cargo space. Most of the meals are resequenced food."

"So you just press a button and get whatever you want?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, it's a bit more complicated that that," Trip said. "The computer has to be programmed with the proper genetic code and molecular sequence. That can be a bit tricky."

"So, why 'Trip'?" Paige asked.

"It's simple," Trip said, smiling. "My daddy was named Charles. So was his daddy. Triple, get it?"

"Interesting," Piper said. "That T'Pol seems to be a barrel of laughs."

"Oh, you get used to the Vulcans after a while," Trip said. "They can be kind of annoying, though. They think humans aren't advanced enough to be traveling in space. They think we should stay in our own back yard for the next couple of hundred years."

"She seems to have a single mindedness about most things," Piper said. "That can get on your nerves."

"Oh, you should have seen her when she first came on board," Trip said. "She's actually mellowed some since then. I guess working around humans all this time has had an affect on her."

"How long has Earth been able to travel into deep space?" Phoebe asked.

"Well," Trip said, thinking for a minute, "about ten years after World War III, Zephram Cochran built the first warp engine. He could only travel at warp one, though. That's the speed of light. It wasn't until a few months ago that we broke the warp five barrier."

"Warp five?" questioned Piper.

"That's what we call faster than light speed," Trip said. "Warp one is the speed of light. Warp five is about two hundred fourteen times the speed of light. We can go places pretty fast these days."

"Two hundred fourteen times the speed of light?" Phoebe asked. "I can't even imagine something going that fast."

"So," Trip said, "is it true what you said? You're all witches?"

"That's right," Piper said. "Our mother was a witch. So was our grandmother. We sort of inherited our powers from them."

"Boy," Trip exclaimed, "I thought that was just something from stories and movies. I mean, not many people even believe in such things today."

"Certainly not T'Pol," Paige said. "She acts like if you can't see it or touch it then it doesn't exist."

"Oh, the Vulcans are devoted to pure logic," Trip said. "They believe that things like emotions are a detriment to civilized races. If you can't analyze it under a microscope then it's not worth the time."

"She'd have a field day with us," Phoebe said. "Some of the things we've encountered totally defy the…."

Suddenly a klaxon began to sound throughout the ship. A voice came over the intercom.

"Intruder alert in engineering. Security to engineering immediately."

"Come on," Trip said, jumping up from the table. "If that thing is in engineering it could destroy the entire ship."

"It's a good thing we stopped by our quarters and got the spell," Phoebe said, pulling the spell out of her pocket. "Looks like we're going to need it."


	12. Chapter 12

J. B. Tilton/Page 5

TWELVE

Three security guards and Malcolm stood outside engineering as Trip and the girls approached the door. Malcolm handed Trip a phase pistol.

"It just suddenly appeared in there," Malcolm said. "It went directly for the warp core."

"How did you stop it?" Trip asked.

"I set up an electro-magnetic field around it," Malcolm said. "It won't hold long but it should keep that thing at bay for a bit. And it's as resistant to the phase pistols as it was in the corridor outside the situation room."

"Where is it now?" Archer asked, walking up to the group, T'Pol close behind.

"It's in the tool room," Malcolm said. "Ensign Parker locked it in there. We got out as soon as she did. Captain, I don't know what we're going to do. That thing is resistant to all of our weapons."

"We'll take care of it," Piper said. "It's what we do."

"Attempting to subdue the creature without weapons would be suicide," T'Pol said.

"Do you have a better idea?" Paige asked. "Your phase pistols or whatever you call them didn't even hurt that thing. You saw what we did to it outside the situation room. At least we scared if off."

"Captain," T'Pol said, "their suggested course of action is not logical. There is no evidence to suggest they would be any more successful than we have been. Allowing them to confront this Klingon unarmed is not a wise decision."

Archer looked at T'Pol, then at the sisters. T'Pol had a point. This Klingon was certainly no ordinary Klingon. Rushing in headlong with no weapons was foolhardy. But he had seen what Piper and her sisters had done outside the situation room. Human or not, they obviously had some sort of power that affected this thing.

"Trip," Archer said, "get to the transporter room. We'll keep it trapped here as long as we can. See if you can get a transporter lock on it and beam it into space. Demon or not it shouldn't be able to withstand that."

"Good idea," Trip said, turning and hurrying to the transporter room.

"This is going to take a few minutes," Archer said. "We have to keep it distracted. We're going in. You three stay behind us. I won't risk your lives on some hunch you can take it out."

"Captain, it's not a hunch," Piper protested. "Believe me, we can…."

"I've made my decision," Archer said forcefully. "You can help with those powers you seem to have. But our main concern right now is to get that thing out of engineering. Everyone ready?"

The security men nodded and Archer pulled a phase pistol out. Cautiously, he reached up and pressed the button on the wall that opened the door. The door opened silently and the group stepped inside.

Engineering was totally deserted and other than the machinery it was completely quiet. The tool room was near the back of the room. The group fanned out making sure to keep Piper and her sisters behind them. Cautiously they made their way across the room.

The door to the tool room was ripped off its hinges. The Klingon had apparently escaped its confinement. Archer looked around trying to determine where it might be. One mistake could prove disastrous to one or all of them.

Suddenly a movement behind them brought them all around. The Klingon demon stepped out of the shadows directly behind Paige. As she spun to face it, the demon reached out and grabbed her by the throat. It lifted her off the deck of the ship suspending her in midair. It raised its dagger high and was about to plunge it into her. Paige was struggling to breath and couldn't concentrate enough to orb away.

"Klang DichDaq ghaj Daj," the demon howled.

"No," screamed Piper.

Standing only a few feet away Piper raised her hands and brought her explosive power to bear. The demons hand holding the dagger exploded and Paige dropped to the deck. Piper and Phoebe rushed to their sister as the demon howled in pain. Almost instantly the demons shattered hand reformed and it turned on the three.

Archer and the others didn't hesitate. They brought their phase pistols to bear and fired at the demon. Four beams struck it full in the chest driving it back slightly. But they were having no more affect than they had before. It turned and began to move on the three sisters.

"I've got a lock," Trips voice sounded over the intercom.

"Trip, now," shouted Archer. "Beam it out into space."

As the transporter beam took hold of the demon, Piper and her sisters looked up at it. It was only a couple of feet from them. In unison, the three sisters began to recite the spell Phoebe had written.

In a blinding flash of light the demon vanished from the Enterprise. Archer looked at the deck where it had stood no more than a foot from the sisters. The demon was gone. But so were Piper, Phoebe, and Paige. They had vanished in the same blinding flash that had taken the Klingon.


	13. Chapter 13

J. B. Tilton/Page 8

THIRTEEN

Paige sat up and looked around. She appeared to be unhurt. She looked around and Piper and Phoebe were also just sitting up looking around. They all noticed immediately that they were lying on the kitchen floor in the manor.

"Are you three okay?" asked Leo, rushing over to them.

A scorched mark still smoldered on the front of his shirt. The girls could see through the hole in his shirt that he was uninjured. His White Lighter powers had healed any damage the fireball had given him.

"Yeah, I think so," Piper said as Leo helped her to her feet.

"What happened?" Leo asked as they all took seats at the table. "You vanished into that vortex the demon created."

"I think we vanquished it," Paige said. "Although it's hard to be sure. One minute we were casting the spell and the next minute we're back here."

"Cast the spell?" Leo questioned. "You haven't been gone long enough to cast a spell."

"Leo," Phoebe said, "we must have been on the Enterprise for more than a day."

'What are you talking about?" Leo asked. "You only disappeared here a few seconds ago."

"Time travel gives me a headache," Piper said, rubbing her temples.

"Time travel?" questioned Leo. "Okay, just what happened to the three of you?"

Quietly, Piper and her sisters explained to Leo about their trip into the future. Leo sat listening with his brow furrowed as he usually did when the girls explained something to him. When they finished, he just stared at them.

"That's quite a story," he said finally. "And you say I didn't answer when you called me?"

"Nope," Paige said. "Maybe because we were sixty some odd light years from Earth."

"It doesn't work that way," Leo said. "I should have been able to hear you no matter where you were. Unless you were in the underworld."

"Or if we weren't your charges any more," Phoebe said. "Remember, it was one hundred fifty years in the future. For all you and the Elders knew, we were dead."

"That makes sense," Leo said. "But I don't understand how you got back. You didn't cast a time travel spell. How did you get back here?"

"Maybe that transporter thing had something to do with it," Phoebe offered. "They were trying to beam it into space or something. Maybe it reacted with our spell pulling us back."

"That might explain it," Leo said. "Anyway, I'm glad you three are all right. When I saw you disappear into the vortex, I was afraid I had lost you."

"Everything is fine now," Piper said hugging her husband. "The demon is vanquished and we're home safe and sound."

"I just wonder if this Klang will send another demon after us," Phoebe said. "From what that T'Pol said, he's not likely to give up very easily."

"Well, if he does," Paige said, "we still have the spell. Next time we'll know what kind of demon we're fighting. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to my room for a minute."

"Tired?" Piper asked.

"Sort of," Paige said. "But that's not why I want to go there. I had taken the triquetra off of Kitt's collar. I had planned to keep it as sort of a memento but didn't think the collar was of any use so I threw it in the trash. I'm thinking I'd better put the triquetra back on the collar."

Piper and Phoebe just smiled as Paige went to her room to retrieve the small leather strap.

EPILOGUE

"Captain," T'Pol said, stepping into Archer's ready room. "We have performed a thorough search of the ship. There are no signs of the Klingon or our guests."

"Thanks, T'Pol," Archer said absentmindedly. "Did your search of the data base reveal any information on the Klingon?"

"According to Klingon legend," T'Pol said, "it was considered a demon centuries ago. It was called an honor demon. Normally someone who was suffering disgrace by the dishonor of another family member summoned it. This 'demon' would then remove that dishonor thereby restoring the honor of the person who summoned it."

"Another family member?" Archer questioned. "That doesn't sound like something Klang would do."

"Probably not," T'Pol said. "It is more likely that one of Klangs relatives would have summoned the demon to restore his honor. Of course, that is all superstition. Not even the Klingons subscribe to such ideas today."

"Of course," Archer said. "It's just interesting that so many pieces of this puzzle seem to fit together even if they are scientific nonsense."

"I was curious," T'Pol said. "What will your report to Star Fleet Command be?"

"I've been thinking about that myself," Archer said. "Frankly, I'm not sure how to make a report about this. If I report that one of my ancestors came from the past to stop a demon, they may reconsider the command structure of the Enterprise."

"That would be a logical assumption," T'Pol said.

"You don't believe it, do you, Sub-Commander?" Archer asked.

"That three witches came from the past to combat a demon?" questioned T'Pol. "No, sir, I don't. As I have stated on many occasions, time travel is not possible. And there is no empirical evidence to support the contention of the existence of demons.

"I do not believe the three women were a threat to the ship, however. Their actions would suggest some sort of rivalry between them and this so-called demon. Perhaps we simply stumbled into the middle of some sort of conflict between these two factions."

"Factions?" questioned Archer.

"This part of the galaxy is largely unexplored," T'Pol said. "Theoretically, it is possible that some form of life exists here that is dissimilar to humanoid life. Perhaps a form of life that we have yet to encounter."

"So your saying," said Archer, "that they took on the appearance of the women and the Klingon to continue their fight?"

"I suppose," said T'Pol, "it is possible that their form is different from our own. Perhaps entities of energy with the ability to change their form. It would account for the powers they seemed to possess. Certainly a more logical conclusion than witches and demons."

"Thank you, T'Pol," Archer said.

"I do not understand, Captain," T'Pol said.

"You've just helped me with my report to Star Fleet Command," Archer said. "Unknown alien life forms with unexplained abilities. That will certainly sit better with Admiral Forrest and Star Fleet Command than witches, demons, and time travel."

"I'm glad to have been of assistance," T'Pol responded.

As T'Pol returned to her duty station on the bridge, Archer thought about his report to Star Fleet Command. It would be all nice and scientific. But, personally, he wasn't so sure it was the right explanation.

He turned back to his computer and thought about some of the oral traditions that had been handed down through the generations of his family. One in particular struck him as too coincidental. How his ancestor, Paige Matthews, had one day suddenly decided not to throw away the old, worn out, ratty collar the cat had worn. A decision she had made after a short trip to the future while fighting a demon.

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, . You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction.


End file.
